Earth’s lower ionosphere during partial solar eclipses according to observations near Nizhny Novgorod

Abstract

The results of observations in the Vasil’sursk Laboratory (56.1° N, 46.1° E) of partial solar eclipses of August 11, 1999, August 1, 2008, and March 20, 2015 are discussed. Ionospheric observations in the eclipse periods and on control days were conducted by the method of resonant scatter of radio waves at artificial periodic irregularities of the ionospheric plasma and the partial reflection method based on radio wave scatter by natural irregularities in the D region. The lower ionosphere reaction to solar eclipses, including variations in the electron concentration and characteristics of the signals scattered by APIs, was studied. An intensification of the lower ionosphere turbulization, an increase in the signal amplitudes backscattered by APIs in the E region, stratification of the D region, and the arrival of scattered signals from mesopause heights were observed during the eclipses. A decrease in the electron concentration of the D region up to a factor of 3–5 was found by the partial reflection method. Above 88 km, the ionospheric response was delayed by 20–25 min relative to the moment of the eclipse maximum phase, whereas this delay in the lower part of the D region was 2–4 min.